Liyen is an authentic Chinese restaurant located in Kota. It is not very far from the Bank Mandiri Museum, maybe 3 minutes by foot. They specialize in Hakka cuisine (from Southeast China), with some recommended dishes like the Salted Chicked, the Grilled Duck, or the Fried Prawn with Salted Egg.
Bubur Kwang Tung is an institution in Jakarta, especially for late-night clubbers. Open 24-hour and located in Pecenongan, not far from many nightlife venues, it is similar with Kamseng , located on Jalan Mangga Besar. It is mostly popular for its rice porridges (bubur in Indonesian) but it serves also a complete menu of Chinese (Cantonese) dishes. We visited it well after midnight after a fun evening of exploring live dangdut café, and we were both very happy with the taste of our porridge. I was even surprised I liked the food so much as I'm normally not a fan at all of it. Overall : A must-try in Jakarta, especially after a night of clubbing. If you are a celebrity, you'll eat for free and you can have your picture on the wall too... Bubur Kwang Tung - Open 24/7 Jalan Pecenongan No 671 (near Red Top Hotel) Central Jakarta
It may seem like an obvious thing to say, but if you are looking for the best Chinese food in Jakarta, you should go to its Chinatown, in Glodok. I had already tried a few weeks ago Hunan Kitchen , and I had promised myself to come back to try some of the other popular Chinese restaurants in that area. Lac Mei Che Huo Kuo is also specializing in Sichuan cuisine, but with a focus on seafood. It was full when I entered, and apparently the customers are mostly Indo-Chinese, from the upper-class. The main room is pretty basic, just some boring tables and decoration. The only thing you will notice is the aquarium, with live fishes, turtles and some weird, huge oysters I had never seen before.
Angke is a very famous Chinese "Hakka" restaurant with two locations in Jakarta, in Ketapang and Kelapa Gading. I only tried the latter, which is made of one huge dining room half the size of a football field. I guess it is adequate for weddings and receptions, but I don't recommend it if you want to have an intimate dinner.
I came all the way from Sudirman to Jalan Pangeran Jayakarta, in Glodok, because I was told this street had some of the best Chinese street food stalls and warungs in Jakarta. When I arrived, it was already late but some venues were still crowded. I chose one of them, Chasio Garing Acc, for a simple reason: They had air-conditioning. It turned out their unit was not functioning very well, so I had a chance to sweat a little, and also to get a few mosquito bites. There isn't much to say about the inside as it looks like any typical warung: 4 walls with kitschy ornaments and posters, basic chairs and tables, and uncertain hygiene. I had eaten the best Grilled Duck ever a week earlier in Liyen , and the one in Chasio Garing Acc was quite disappointing. Since it is twice as cheap in the latter, there wasn't much to expect anyway. I also tried the Beef Kwetiaw: The ingredients were not very fresh and the meat low quality. I only had a few bites and couldn't
One of the most popular Chinese restaurants in Jakarta , Imperial Treasure specializes in La Mian (hand held noodles) and Xiao Long Bao (dumplings). Another specificity is that you can actually see the noodles being made from inside the restaurant. I tried it a few times with coworkers and everyone gets quite excited when we mention the name. It is packed, especially at lunch and you'll better make a reservation before going. I always enjoyed what I ordered in Imperial Treasure, and I don't find it too expensive. A full meal should not cost you more than Rp100,000. It reminds me of places like the Duck King or Shabu-Shabu House in terms of quality and professionalism. Overall: Recommended venue for lunches/business but too noisy for anything more intimate.
Jun Njan (meaning "Always remember your roots") is a chain of traditional Chinese seafood restaurants with branches all over Jakarta. The one I tried is located in Grand Indonesia, and I don't know if the quality of the food in this restaurant is the same than that in other places. The menu list is extensive with a mix of various chinese dishes, with a focus on seafood. I thought the cost of the food was fair, given that the restaurant is located in one of Jakarta's most luxurious malls. Jun Njan was not very crowded when I was there, but it is rare: It is usually very busy and sometimes noisy. Not a good set for a quiet or romantic dinner... Contact details:
Kamseng restaurant is the equivalent in North Jakarta of Dim Sum Festival in the South: Opened 24 hours, it is filled with party-goers and clubbers from nearby entertainment venues. My boss once told me about a place near Hayam Wuruk nicknamed the "wh*res' porridge", and now I think he was talking about Kamseng. If you go there late, you'll understand why. After trying a few restaurants in the area, namely Hunan Kitchen and Lac Mei Che , I had high expectations, but what I tried there was nothing more than a busy warung serving cheap, yet average food. Kamseng has a lot of waiters, but it is so busy you could get more attention in a McDonald's during rush hour. If you are looking for a nice, quiet dinner, this is not the place.
Trio is one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Jakarta : It was opened in 1947 by Lam Khai Tjioe, Tan Lung and Tan Kim Po. It is still a family business today, managed by Lam Khai Tjioe's son, Effendy Sumartono. I don't know how it looked like back then, but I imagine that it hasn't changed much over time. You have about 10 basic, wooden tables, some information about the menu on the walls, and a small store at the counter. No air-con in Trio, which means that for lunch it feels hot, and for dinner you get bitten by mosquitoes.
